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One way we might consider measuring the concept of "progress[1]" is by how the system[2] in question changes human behavior. Does it change behavior in a way that makes us better, or worse?
The question doesn't need to be that hard to answer. Just a gut-check will do. Seeing how people end up interacting with this system, are they acting in ways that are generally better or worse than before?
Let's take crypto as an example. Ignoring the some of the yet-unrealized potential of web3, and looking at how people interact today with coins, NFTs, and DAOs, are the changes in behavior brought on by these systems positive, or negative? Well even the most ardent crypto-bro will admit that the space is rife with scams (though perhaps not using that word specifically.) Many people have found themselves at a loss due to the fact that after being subject to a social engineering attack resulting in a fraudulent transfer, the transfer can't be reversed precisely because of the underlying principles of the system. Once a transaction is written to the blockchain, there's no undo.
The system fails a very basic test of human behavior: can it accommodate mistakes? People make mistakes, and we should not build systems that assume people do not. We should build systems that help people avoid making mistakes and build in safety nets so when someone inevitably does, it avoids catastrophic damage.
Sure, there's plenty that crypto has unlocked that might make people better, now or in the hypothetical future. But the point is that right now the system promotes more negative behavior by being built around a principle that, while conceptually elegant, doesn't work well with how people actually operate. It is not progressing us forward since it amplifies our flaws.
Now, applying this principle to cell phones, what do we get? Bit of a tricky one...
Last updated Thu Apr 07 2022 in Berkeley, CA